Many years ago I came across a poem, which I wrote into the flyleaf of my Bible. I’ve read it so often that it’s etched in memory now.
I thought I’d share it here. You will recognize one of its lines as the title I used for an earlier post.
Thyself
I read Thy word, O Lord, each passing day,
And in the sacred page find glad employ.
But this I pray:
Save from the killing letter; teach my heart,
Set free from human forms, the holy art
Of reading Thee in every line,
In precept, prophecy and sign,
Till all my vision filled with Thee,
Thy likeness shall reflect in me:
Not knowledge, but Thyself my joy!
For this I pray.
J.C. Macaulay
A Mending Feast 
Words like this seem almost to come from a different age. It speaks of a hearts yearning to be a disciple. A true follower. To lay all things down in order to be found in Him. As I read this and think on it I am reminded of something which I myself noted a couple of years ago in a Christian magazine. In this article the lady was refecting on her experiences and on the capacity there is in the human heart to create a reality best suited and most convenient to ourselves or to “self”, to break it down to the root of the word. This may, or perhaps is even likely to, if the flesh is left to itself, avoid the deeper callings of the Master and not embrace the fullness of the whole of the Word. The lady expressed from her heart that she did not want to be an “anointed fan” of Christianity as she felt was being promulgated in her church, but that she wanted to hear His Voice for herself. Her phrase I will never forget as the Holy Spirit highlighted it to me at the time and it has stayed in my spirit ever since; she wanted to “carve out” her own intimate relationship with Him. This poems speaks of this and more. Thanks for posting it Allan.
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